Marcus McCleery was at high risk for stroke because of his atrial fibrillation and obesity. Find out how he turned his life around dramatically for the better.

In September 2008, Marcus McCleery of New London, Minn., had
just found out that he had atrial fibrillation when his doctor gave him more
bad news: He was also at high risk for stroke.

Just having atrial fibrillation (Afib) on its own increases
the likelihood of stroke fivefold. But McCleery, now 49, had other health
problems to contend with as well. At 350 pounds, he was obese, and his diet was
very unhealthy.

McCleery first experienced signs of atrial fibrillation in
June 2008 after undergoing surgery to repair his hand, which had been crushed
between a truck bumper and the coupling of a boat trailer.

"After the surgery, I would notice periods of heavy
sweating, almost like a hot flash," he says. He had a hard time breathing
during these episodes and often felt fatigued and cranky.

His doctors were able to determine what was wrong only after
McCleery started wearing a portable heart monitor. It recorded an episode of atrial
fibrillation, during which his heart was racing at 220 beats per minute. He was
ordered to lie down on the floor and wait for help. "They took the front
door off my house to get me to the ambulance on a stretcher," he says.

Starting Atrial
Fibrillation Treatment

McCleery was put on anticoagulant medications, also known as
blood thinners, to keep the blood in his heart from pooling and clotting. This
is the standard means of reducing stroke risk in people with atrial
fibrillation, says Emelia Benjamin, MD, ScM, a professor at the Boston
University School of Medicine and senior investigator with the Framingham Heart
Study. Taking blood
thinners can help reduce the risk of a first stroke in people with Afib by more
than two-thirds, according to the National Stroke Association.

Next McCleery underwent two cardiac ablations, which are
surgical procedures intended to either reduce or resolve Afib. During ablation,
the surgeon uses energy pulses to sear off the portions of the heart muscle
that are causing it to produce irregular electrical signals.

McCleery's first surgery, which took place in November 2008,
didn’t stop his Afib episodes. "My doctor said I have a physically big
heart and sometimes it takes two or three surgeries to fix all of the
areas," he says.

While the second ablation, in March 2010, took care of
McCleery's major atrial fibrillation symptoms, his weight and poor physical
condition kept his stroke risk high. He had to remain on blood thinners.

Adding in Lifestyle
Changes

After that, McCleery decided to embark on a diet and
exercise regimen. He joined a gym and started by simply walking on a treadmill
15 minutes a day. This was not entirely by choice. "The gym told me I
couldn't run on their treadmills until I was under 300 pounds," he says.
"So I walked the first 80 pounds away."

Dr. Benjamin says that in addition to medication, physical
activity is crucial to helping people with atrial fibrillation manage their
risk of stroke. "It doesn't have to be strenuous," she says.
"You can get active by walking. If you give yourself the opportunities,
you can end up walking a fair amount each day."

The first day McCleery was able to run a mile was a
milestone he’ll never forget. "I thought I was too old and too unhealthy
to do it," he says. He eventually took up swimming, bicycling, and
kayaking as well. Today he participates in triathlons.

McCleery also took a class to learn how to eat healthy. He
cut back on salt, fat, and sugar and began eating meals centered on vegetables
and lean protein. "It's not a temporary thing," he says. "It's
an education — the classes taught me how to feed myself so I’d
function best."

McCleery’s Reduced
Stroke Risk

Within about a year, McCleery had dropped 183 pounds.
"It's amazing how your body responds when you decide to take care of it,"
he says.

The tangible proof was in his medical records. Every measurable
health number of his improved from the day he began treatment. Blood sugar,
cholesterol, blood pressure — all his numbers were down.

"You're the kind of patient I want," McCleery's
doctor told him, and about a year ago his doctor took him off anticoagulant
medications.

"I feel so much happier and more positive these
days," says McCleery, who blogs about his experience at Move 15 Minutes a
Day! and is a volunteer at the Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation.
"I have an all-around better life. I really couldn't be healthier."

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